Labour leader cries foul against new minimum wage rates

A labour leader cried foul against the Wage Committee’s decision to raise minimum wages from 5-10 baht and to freeze the wages in some provinces as unfair and unrealistic.

Mr Chalee Loisoong, vice president of the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee, said the Wage Committee’s decision was a big letdown because there are several provinces which were not given any wage increase at all.

A maximum increase of 10 baht is just a chicken’s feed compared to the present circumstances, he said, noting that most of the southern provinces were denied any increase at all despite the fact that people in the region are living a tough life and should be entitled to higher pay.

The Wage Committee divided the country into four clusters of provinces and set different wage increase rates for each of the clusters ranging from 5-10 baht a day.

Chalee said that the disappointing wage increase rates are making mockery of the government’s pledge to improve economic situation in the South. He added he didn’t understand why the government could not set one uniformed wage rate which is applicable countrywide.

He also wondered what criteria the Wage Committee used to judge which provinces deserve 10 baht, 8 baht and 5 baht increase and which provinces should not receive any raise at all.